Storage building



Oct. 28, 1930.

w. G. BEECHE'R E! AL Filed July 24, 1929 STORAGE BUILDING 6 Sheets-Sheet1 I m9 m9. m9-

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Oct. 28, 1930. w, BEECHER ET AL 1,779,998

STORAGE BUILDING Filed July 24, 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 2 F. It)? ,(ayrm fMa. amt 9L Oct. 28, 1930. w. G. BEECHER ET A STORAGE BUILDING Filed July4, 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 5 Oct. 2 8, 1930. w. G. BEECHER ET AL STORAGEBUILDING Filed July 24, 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 4 Oct 2 7 Filed July 1929 asheet 5 Oct. 28, 1930, w, BEEHER Er AL 1,779,998

STORAGE BUILDING Filed July 24, 1929 6 Sheets-Sheet 6 Patented Oct. 28,1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WHi-LIAM GORDON BEECHER AND LAYTON 1!.SMITH, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNORS TO THE MAXIMUM STORAGE GARAGEPLANNING GORPORATIOQ A COR- POBATION OF DELAWARE STORAGE BUILDINGApplication filed July 24;

This invention relates to improvements in storage buildings and .whileit ismore particularly directed to a building for the storage ofautomobiles, it may as readily be used for other storage purposes.

Automobile parking has become a very serious question in large cities,particularly in congested businessdistricts, and the problem, in. manylocalities, has resulted in stringent regulations against the parking ofautomobiles along the streets in such districts; These stringentregulations cause considerable hardship to many who live in outlying andsuburban districts and depend on their private vehicles fortransportation to and from business, or who desire to attend places ofamusement or who have been in the habit of driving to the shopping ormarketing localities.

Such a large proportion of the population has been affected by theregulations against parking, that many garage buildings for thetemporary storage of automobiles during day and evening hours havebecome necessary.

One of the difiiculties in meeting the situation has been the high priceof property in the neighborhoods where temporary storage is desired andthe excessive cost for such storage buildings.

Another difiiculty has been the tremendous loss of storage space 'in andthe excessive cost of such buildings because aisles had to be set apartto enable automobiles to be parked in and removed from the parking orstorage areas.

Many of the present buildings are provided with ramps from floor tofloor in order that cars may be moved from one floor to another undertheir own power, but such ramps also consume much space and are veryexpensive to construct, and moreover, if the time should come when it isdesired to utilize the building for other'purposes the expense ofalterations is prohibitive.

Where a number of floors are provided and elevators 'to raise and lowerthe cars are employed, a great deal of space must be provided on each:floor for manipulation of cars'to get them to and from the elevators andthe place of storage. Moreover, this 1929. Serial No. 380,523.

elevatormethod and the shifting of carson each floor results inconsiderable lossof time, and in rush hours, is almost maddening.

It has also been proposed to construct a storage building with avertical and longitudinally-extending hatchway therein and with storagecells on opposite sides of the hatchway. -Then with that hatchway, toprovide an elevator means mounted on a carriage at the bottom of thehatchway or suspended from some means at the top of the hatchway so thatthe elevator may be moved both vertically and longitudinally withrespect to that hatchway.

While to our minds, this form of building is on the proper plan, it mustbe of a height to provide sufficient storage to justify the expense oferection, and the elevator means must be quite different from anythingsuggested in the prior art to give said means sufficient stability andheight of operation, so that it may be operated with expeditionandprevent congestion in rush hours.

Our invention therefore has for its object to provide a storage buildingwith a vertical and longitudinally-extending hatchway, on the oppositesides of which in difli'erent vertical and horizontal planes there arearranged series of storage compartments, and to combine therewith animproved elevator means detail through the building,as viewed on p theline 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows. a horizontal sectional plan through the building on theline 33 of Fig. 2. I

Fig. 4 illustrates another sectional plan through the building as viewedon the line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 shows the detached elevator tower 80 which has vertical andhorizontal movement 7 structure in front elevation and on an enlar (1scale.

ig. 6 illustrates the same in top view.

Fig. 7 shows a horizontal sectional plan through the elevator tower Justabove the carria e as viewed on the line 77 of Fi 8, and

i 8 illustrates the tower in side e evation and 5m building in verticalsection across the hatchway, with the elevator, the sheaves,counterweights and the cables.

In carrying out our invention, we construct the "building proper withsuitable side and end vertical walls 15 and 16 and with a lower entrancefloor 17 and a series of horizontal floors 18 arranged at suitabledistances apart from the lower floor, but it is to be understood thatthe entrance and exit floors need not be the lowermost floor, nor on thesame level.

A vertical and longitudinal hatchway 19, extends through the buildingbetween the end walls 16 and from the lowest floor to and above theuppermost floor.

On opposite sides of this hatchway, each floor is divided intohorizontal rows of storage spaces 20. These storage spaces on each floormay be separated orpartitioned one from another, or not, as desired, butthe arrangement of the spaces on the various floors is such, that in thecompleted building they will present a series of vertical rows from thelowest floor up, with a storage space 20 of one floor in the samevertical plane as similar spaces on the floors above and below it.

In the drawings, we have shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, a series ofvertical columns or supports 21, extending from the lowest floor upbetween adjacent vertical rows of parking spaces, but it is to beunderstood that this arrangement of columns is not essential and that alesser number than that shown may be employed.

In Figs. 2 and 3, we also show a building in which the lower or groundfloor 17 is provided with entrances 22 and exits 23 through the sidewalls 15. Obviously, this is also immaterial to the invention, but isdesirable,

particularly during rush hours.

In the construction of the building, we make provision at o posite sidesof the hatchway for sustaining orizontal tracks or supports 24, whichtracks extend horizontal y along the sides of the hatchway between thetwo end walls 16 and are located between the top; and bottom of thehatchwafy. v

n the present illustration 0 Figs. 1 and 2, these horizontal tracks orsupports 24 are shown about half way between the to and bottom of thehatchway, but the num r of tracks and their horizontal locations willdepend upon the height of the building and may var accordingly.

The purpose of these tracks or supports 24, will presently be fullyexplained.

' In the hatchway, we provide an elevatortower 25, which is constructedof suitable 2 metal members, well braced and tied together,

be properly termed the front and rear, has a series of openin s 26 invertical alinement and arranged one a ove another forming a vertical rowbetween the bottom and top of the tower.

In fact, we prefer to provide two vertical rows of such front and rearopenings 26 in the tower,each opening being substantially the width andheight of the storage spaces 20 on each floor of the building at theopposite sides of the vertical and longitudinal hatchway. The size ofthese front and rear openings must be at least sufiicient to permit anautomobile to pass thercthrough.

It is not material to the invention as to just how the sides of theelevator tower are braced, but it is important that these opposite sidesbe provided with vertical elevator-guides 27 extending substantiallyfrom the bottom to the top of the tower and on the inner sides thereof.

In the present instance, we provide two of these vertical guides 27, ateach of the opposite inner sides of the tower as shown in Fig. 7 of thedrawings.

We also provide each of thesaid sides of the elevator-tower withvertical guideways 28 to recelve and guide suitable counter-weights 29,for an elevator that will presently be explained.

Between the top and bottom of the elevatortower, and preferably aboutmidway therebeggeen, we provide the tower with a carriage This carriageincludes a horizontal frame built entirely around the outer side of therectangular tower and is rigidly secured thereto. Suitable verticalbracing 31, extends both upwardly and downwardly from the carriage tothe tower-frame, so that the carrlage and tower will be inseparably andpermanently connected.

The carriage, at each of the opposite sides of the tower, has wheels 32,which latter, in this instance, are carried on shafts 33 and 34 of thecarriage which shafts extend in a direction from front to rear of thetower but at the opposite sides of the latter.

When the tower is in place in the vertical longitudinal hatchway of thebuilding, the wheels 32, of the carriage 30, rest upon, and aresupported by the horizontal tracks or supports 24, and the towertherefore has a portion extending above the carriage and another portionwhich depends below the carnage, but both the upward-projecting andlower depending portions of thetowcr are carried by the carriage, whichin turn Ill d tracks 24.

There are decided advantages in supporting the tower between its lowerand upper ends in a hatchway in which it is to have lateral motion andto also operate the tower from its intermediate point of suspension.

If such a tower is supported at its base,

there will be alag to the top of the tower when lateral movement at thebase is started. The reverse takes place at the top of the tower whenthe same is stopped.

If, on the. other hand,,the tower is suspended from a traveling carriagethe same objections maintain,only they are reversed. If the tower issuspended from above or supported from its base, any slight variationfrom perfect alignment of tracks or carriage will be greatly multipliedat the other extremity of the, tower, preventing proper registration ofthe elevator with the floors.

These difliculties are multiplied as the height of the tower increases.

If the tower is high, and supported at either end, the conditions to bemet when starting or stopping the lateral movement of the tower willvary according to the location of the loaded elevator in the tower. Ifthe load be at or near the end opposite that at which the driving meansis located, then when the driving means is stopped, the loaded end ofthe tower, be-

cause of momentum, tends to continue to I move and thus tends to throwthe weight of the load on the forward supporting wheels and lift theload from the rear wheels, thereby causing a swaying that preventsaccurate registration of the tower with the desired parking spaces onthe floors.

By therefore locating the supporting means and the driving means for thetower near thecenter of gravity of the tower, a more rapid and accuratehandling of the tower and the load is attained.

The tower is therefore sustained in the hatchway of the building by acarriage located between its lower and upper ends.

Suitable guide rollers 35, such as are'provided at the lower end of theelevator tower may be arranged at desirable locations between thecarriage and the upper or lower ends of the tower to give stabilitythereto.

It has been explained that the wheels 32 of the carriage are carried onshafts 33 and 34 and that those wheels are supported on the horizontaltracks 24. If therefore either, or both, of those shafts and attachedwheels are rotated, the carriage, and the tower supported thereby, willbe moved laterally through'the building hatchway.

l/Vith this object therefore in view, we provide a reversible motormechanism 36 on the carriage, which latter is connected by suitablegearing in the housing 37 to. the shaft. 34, so that by the operation ofthe sired riage and tower-operatingmeans may motor the shaft 34 may beturned in the dedirection and the carriage and elevator tower thus movedlaterally in a corresponding direction along the tracks 24 to anyvertical row of parking spaces at 'either side of the longitudinalhatchway of the building.

The tower sustaining mechanism and the means for moving the towerlaterally are therefore located at a point, preferably, about midwaybetween the top and bottom of the tower.

It hashereinbefore been stated that the tower structure is provided onits interior I with vertical elevator guides 27 and also has verticalguideways- 28 for elevator counter- Weights 29, all ofwhich indicatesthat an elevator and, of course, an operating mechanism for the same isprovided.

An elevator 38 having a platform 39 and vertical side-frames 40, islocated within the rectangular tower frame -the vertical sideframes 40each having suitable guide-devices 41, to engage the stationary guides27 that extend vertically from the top to the bottom of the tower. v I

Cross-beams 42, are also employed, in this instance, which beams extendcrosswise under the elevator-platform and project slightly atoppositesides of the elevator so that the hoisting cables, presently tobe preferred to, may be connected therewith.

Atthe top, the tower is braced in a crosswire direction by structuralmetal members 43, and a horizontal frame 44, which are dire'ctly overthe shaft which the tower frame forms and in which the elevator is totravel.

The top frame, in this instance, supports two horizontal sheave-shafts45 .and 46 which extend crosswise from side to side of the tower-frameand at right angles to the entrance and exit openings 26 in the frontand rear of the tower. Each sheave-shaft carries a sheave 47 on each ofits ends and the two shafts are connected to a motor 48,. throughgearing 49. i

Cables 50, have their ends attached to the ends of the cross-beams 42,beneath the elevator platform, and these cables extend up through thetower and around the sheaves 47 and then extend down through thetowershaft and connect with the counterweights 29 in the guideways 28 atthe inner sides of the tower-frame.

Obviously, the control mechanisms for the elevator hoisting means andfor the carbe readily arranged on the elevator, but this mechanism formsno part of our invention, and we therefore deem it unnecessary toillustrate the same. I

From the above explanation and description, it will be seen that anautomobile may be driven into the building and through the receivingfront opening of the depending portion of the elevator-tower onto theeleopposite side of the vator therein. No turning or mani ulation of theautomobile except in a direct orward or backward direction is necessaryfrom the time the automobile is pointed toward the tower openings on thereceivin level or floor until the automobile is broug t to the deliverylevel or floor.

The operator will then cause the power mechanism on the tower carriageto operate and thus move the carriage laterally together with the towerso as to present the front and rear openings of the elevator to thedesired vertical line or row of storage or parking spaces.

At the same time, the elevator mechanism on top of the tower maybeoperated simultaneously in order to move the elevator vertically in thetower shaft to the desired floor. The elevator platform thus travelinghorizontally and vertically at the same time in order to save time. a

When the particular parking space is reached, no turning of the car orelevator is necessary, and all the attendant has to do is to move thecar off the same end of the elevator at which it was entered, to park iton one side of the hatchway, or move it from the opposite side of theelevator and through the tower-o ening to park it at the hatchway.

When that same car is removed, it will be brought down by the attendantand when it reaches the lower floor, it will have the same position andbe facing in the same direction as when it was driven onto the elevatorwhen taken up, and it may then be driven ahead and off the opposite endof the elevator and out through the exit at the opposite side from whereit entered the building.

The entire operation is therefore carried on without turning the carafter it is once pointed toward thetower openings, and may thus be donewith expedition and without interfering or the handling or movements ofother cars.

As the elevator and tower illustrated are designed to accommodate twocars at a time, one car may be put into or removed from one parkingspace, and the towerand elevator then moved to park or remove anothercar from another space, and the two cars thus handled between the timethe elevator leaves the ground floor and returns.

Having described our invention, we claim,

1. In a storage building a plurality of floors with a hatchway extendingvertically and longitudinally through the floors to provide access tothe storage spaces at opposite sides of the hatchway on each floor, anelevator tower extending vertically through the hatchway and havingfront and rear openings facing the floors at each side of the hatchway,means en aging the tower between its uppermost and owermost ends andsustaining the same vertically at such intermediate point in thehatchway, an elevator movable vertically in the tower and means for.moving the tower and the elevator therein togather in a horizontal planealong the hatchway.

2. In a storage building a-plurality of floors with a hatchway extendingvertically and longitudinally through the floors to provide access tothe storage spaces at opposite an elevator in the tower, means formoving the elevator vertically in the tower and means at theintermediate sustaining means of the tower between the up ermost andlowermost ends thereof for moving the tower and the elevator thereintogether in a 1101!- zontal plane along the hatchway.

3. In a storage building a plurality of floors with a hatchway extendingvertically and longitudinally through the floors to provide access tothe storage spaces at opposite sides of the hatchway on each floor, anelevator tower extending vertically through the hatchway and havingfront and rear openings facing the floors at each side of the hatchway,a carriage sustained at the sides of the hatchway between the uppermostand lowermost floors and engaging the tower between the uppermost andlowermost ends thereof for sustaining the tower intermediate its endsand in a vertical position in the hatchway, power means for moving thecarriage and tower horizontally, an elevator in the tower and movablewith the tower and carriage, and means for moving the elevatorvertically in the tower.

4. In a storage building a plurality of floors with a hatchway extendingvertically and longitudinally through the floors to rovide access to thestorage spaces on each oor at opposite sides of the hatchway, ahorizontal trackway at opposite sides of the hatchway between theuppermost and lowermost floors, a carriage on said trackway, tower meansextending through the carriage so as to extend above and depend belowthe carriage, an elevator insaid tower-means, means for moving theelevator vertically in the tower-means and means for moving the carriagehorizontally to impart a like movement to the tower-means and theelevator in a direction longitudinally of the hatchway.

In testimony whereof we afiix our signatures.

WILLIAM GORDON BEECHER. LAYTON F. SMITH.

